To become a network administrator but no experience?

To become a network administrator but no experience?

I graduated 6 years ago with a degree bachelor of information system. I couldn't find a job with networking in a year then I changed to work for library technician and archives technician for now. I feel boring of doing these job sofar. Now I want to be serious to go back with computer neworking job but I know that I have no experience; just a old bechelor degree even I want to apply for a job and most of the company require1-3 years experiences to be considered for a job.

I volunteer myself to work in Non-profit organization. After a month they gave the opportunity to teach and then send me to another country to train others. One year after I got a job as System Administrator for a company.I hope that helps

companies will take a risk on someone with certifications. You should look into getting you MCSA, this will brush you up on what you would be doing as a network admin. You can always say that you have your own consulting company, if they require experience.The key is to learn as much as you can, then do whatever you can to get an interview then sell yourself...

This would helped and should I take Network+ certified first before taking MCSA or just go direct to MCSA. Some company might need Network+ certified to be considered before hiring someone or it doesn't matter w/o it, dont' you think?

1: Use more than one book. For this particular one I used the MS PRess Self-paced training kit, the sybex book and the Exam Cram book.

2: Use practice exams like Measureup or trancender to identify your weak areas and then work on improving these weak spots.

3: Build a test network, either with physical boxes or virtual machines and then run all the labs and scenarios you will find in the books and try to creat some of your own.

4: Look at some non-Microsoft sources on Networking. For example much of what you learn about general Networking studying for the CCNA will be very applicable to the 70-291, especially when it comes to IP addressing, Subnetting and routing protocols such as RIP and OSPF.

If you're just going for the MCSA (not MCSE) you can use Network+ and A+ together as your required elective.

In other words, if you get both a+ and Network+ it counts as one of the required exams you need for the MCSA and you would only hhave to take the two core exams (70-290 and 70-291) plus one client OS exam.

Get into a company that has network engineer's, start the job lower down the scale and work your way up. I started at a ISP doing 2nd line support from ADSL, and withing 7 month im now on the networks team as a network engineer...helped me get my foot in server room door so to speak :

The one thing I would say about certifications is it can't hurt to start with the basic ones. These will help you get your foot in the door. CompTIA is good for that - A+ Network + and Linux + are a solid foundation, if you last through that and decide to continue on this career path that is when I would probably go about looking into MCSE or Cisco certs.

One thing that I am doing is going into job interviews with my basic certs under my belt and then having a strategic plan in place as for how I want to proceed with the rest of them in case the company asks. They are expensive so it is my hope that I can negotiate with the company to pay for the more expensive ones like MCSE.

Another thing I am doing is not expecting to become CIO a year after college. I think that jobs in the IT Industry need to start with the basics like working at a helpdesk and then advancing after proving work ethic and dependability.

Thanks a bunch to everyone that posted and would be posted all the advices to the article. After reading all the advices and comments and I feel brighter and what to deal with the situation. Ultimately, I will decide to take the A+ and Net+ as basic source. Now adays, prices of cert. classes are so expensive. If I buy the books A+ and Net+ to read at home in order to save some money then go take a test, is this solution help? or I should go to study in school to be better helping me passing the test. Any suggestion about which school is great of teaching A+ and Net+ cert. in Maryland, any one know? Thanks very much and I'm really appreciated all your helps. I know I've asked alot but because I'm sincere serious lost basic since didregarded IT for 6 years.

Everyone is different and learns differently. I have never taken and classes or gone to school for any of my certs. I've just bought a couple books, some practice exams and set up a test enviornment to try things out. This doesn't work for everyone and only you know what's best for you. However, unless you have LOTS of experience I would avoid "boot camp" style training. These boot camps may be useful for experienced pros just needing to quickly brush up on skills, but will NOT teach a relativly green tech nearly enough of what he needs to know.

I have the same problem as you. I would like to be a network admin but no experience. I graduated about 8 months ago and couldn't find a job as an admin and neither will you. You have to start at the bottom. Try to find an IT support job with a big company. If you stick around, you'll get a chance to move up in their IT department. But yeah, don't hold your breath in trying to get your first job as an admin. Not going to happen.

I have N+ and MCSA and still can't get a job as an admin. I've only been able to get a tech support job. Certs are good only for two reasons. If you already have the experience, it makes you look even better. If you have no experience, it will get your foot in the door for tech support.

I will try to apply for entry level position but meanwhile, I want to study and prepare to take MCSA certification. I'm now reviewing my networks skill such as tcp/ip,ect. and will read book of win server 2003 and winXP professional, after done reading these stuff, you guys think is it enough for me to be ready to take a test? Or I need more stuff to do, if so what other stuff that I need to study and practice? please help. Very truly sincerely,yours

You will need a lot more study. MCSA is composed of 4 exams. They are 70-270, 70-290, 70-291, 70-? (your choice). Type MCSA on google and it should link you to microsoft's site to see what tests you need to take to get your mcsa. 270 is xp & 290 is basic server 2003. 291 is the core of server 2003. You will have to know such things as DNS, DHCP, RRAS, WINS, CLUSTERS, WSUS, VPN, IPSEC and some other stuff.

I recommend you get yourself the books with the test # on them. For example, if you are going to study for xp, you need to get a study guide book that says it is for 70-270. The same for the other tests.

I volunteer myself to work in Non-profit organization. After a month they gave the opportunity to teach and then send me to another country to train others. One year after I got a job as System Administrator for a company.I hope that helps

companies will take a risk on someone with certifications. You should look into getting you MCSA, this will brush you up on what you would be doing as a network admin. You can always say that you have your own consulting company, if they require experience.The key is to learn as much as you can, then do whatever you can to get an interview then sell yourself...

This would helped and should I take Network+ certified first before taking MCSA or just go direct to MCSA. Some company might need Network+ certified to be considered before hiring someone or it doesn't matter w/o it, dont' you think?

1: Use more than one book. For this particular one I used the MS PRess Self-paced training kit, the sybex book and the Exam Cram book.

2: Use practice exams like Measureup or trancender to identify your weak areas and then work on improving these weak spots.

3: Build a test network, either with physical boxes or virtual machines and then run all the labs and scenarios you will find in the books and try to creat some of your own.

4: Look at some non-Microsoft sources on Networking. For example much of what you learn about general Networking studying for the CCNA will be very applicable to the 70-291, especially when it comes to IP addressing, Subnetting and routing protocols such as RIP and OSPF.

If you're just going for the MCSA (not MCSE) you can use Network+ and A+ together as your required elective.

In other words, if you get both a+ and Network+ it counts as one of the required exams you need for the MCSA and you would only hhave to take the two core exams (70-290 and 70-291) plus one client OS exam.

Get into a company that has network engineer's, start the job lower down the scale and work your way up. I started at a ISP doing 2nd line support from ADSL, and withing 7 month im now on the networks team as a network engineer...helped me get my foot in server room door so to speak :

The one thing I would say about certifications is it can't hurt to start with the basic ones. These will help you get your foot in the door. CompTIA is good for that - A+ Network + and Linux + are a solid foundation, if you last through that and decide to continue on this career path that is when I would probably go about looking into MCSE or Cisco certs.

One thing that I am doing is going into job interviews with my basic certs under my belt and then having a strategic plan in place as for how I want to proceed with the rest of them in case the company asks. They are expensive so it is my hope that I can negotiate with the company to pay for the more expensive ones like MCSE.

Another thing I am doing is not expecting to become CIO a year after college. I think that jobs in the IT Industry need to start with the basics like working at a helpdesk and then advancing after proving work ethic and dependability.

Thanks a bunch to everyone that posted and would be posted all the advices to the article. After reading all the advices and comments and I feel brighter and what to deal with the situation. Ultimately, I will decide to take the A+ and Net+ as basic source. Now adays, prices of cert. classes are so expensive. If I buy the books A+ and Net+ to read at home in order to save some money then go take a test, is this solution help? or I should go to study in school to be better helping me passing the test. Any suggestion about which school is great of teaching A+ and Net+ cert. in Maryland, any one know? Thanks very much and I'm really appreciated all your helps. I know I've asked alot but because I'm sincere serious lost basic since didregarded IT for 6 years.

Everyone is different and learns differently. I have never taken and classes or gone to school for any of my certs. I've just bought a couple books, some practice exams and set up a test enviornment to try things out. This doesn't work for everyone and only you know what's best for you. However, unless you have LOTS of experience I would avoid "boot camp" style training. These boot camps may be useful for experienced pros just needing to quickly brush up on skills, but will NOT teach a relativly green tech nearly enough of what he needs to know.

I have the same problem as you. I would like to be a network admin but no experience. I graduated about 8 months ago and couldn't find a job as an admin and neither will you. You have to start at the bottom. Try to find an IT support job with a big company. If you stick around, you'll get a chance to move up in their IT department. But yeah, don't hold your breath in trying to get your first job as an admin. Not going to happen.

I have N+ and MCSA and still can't get a job as an admin. I've only been able to get a tech support job. Certs are good only for two reasons. If you already have the experience, it makes you look even better. If you have no experience, it will get your foot in the door for tech support.

I will try to apply for entry level position but meanwhile, I want to study and prepare to take MCSA certification. I'm now reviewing my networks skill such as tcp/ip,ect. and will read book of win server 2003 and winXP professional, after done reading these stuff, you guys think is it enough for me to be ready to take a test? Or I need more stuff to do, if so what other stuff that I need to study and practice? please help. Very truly sincerely,yours

You will need a lot more study. MCSA is composed of 4 exams. They are 70-270, 70-290, 70-291, 70-? (your choice). Type MCSA on google and it should link you to microsoft's site to see what tests you need to take to get your mcsa. 270 is xp & 290 is basic server 2003. 291 is the core of server 2003. You will have to know such things as DNS, DHCP, RRAS, WINS, CLUSTERS, WSUS, VPN, IPSEC and some other stuff.

I recommend you get yourself the books with the test # on them. For example, if you are going to study for xp, you need to get a study guide book that says it is for 70-270. The same for the other tests.